radtek

I'm doing a brined spatchcocked capon in the BGE that will do for the main course. Some classic green bean casserole with fried onions on top. Glazed carrots. The family's classic baked pineapple. Beer and wine for starters. Also for dessert. Maybe some Scotch as a night-cap. Keeping it basic this year.

FrogPrincesse excellent pics as always. You'll have to let me know your which camera and lens you use... Only wish I'd been around in the days this thread was started! Didn't know what a tremendous fan I'd become of Bourdain's and how influential he'd be. Funny thing is I read Kitchen Confidential 8 years ago (loved it!) but I have two of Ruhlman's books on my coffee right table now...

I was looking at getting into this properly but was baulking at spending a bunch of money. Then I realized I have all the equipment already and wired up- just for other uses! Temp controller, heating element, high temp pump and a cooler. Also have a heat gun that goes to 1150F. I think a torch would have seared your porn loin up without overcooking it.

Perhaps the cook didn't dial it down as far as possible. Sometimes I'll stop on the 2 or3 (1=thinnest) because of wanting a thicker noodle. It's a preference thing IMO.

I've already got my bottle of kansui. Always wondered what the bicarbonate water was used for. Now I know!

Linda, looking at the recipe I'm not sure what they mean by "roast"? Did you use pork-loin? An entire shoulder is a little unwieldy and will produce a lot of meat. The cut that works best is the "Pork Butt" also called "Boston Butt". If you used pork-loin the result would be quite insipid and dry after braising in my opinion. The butt has plenty of fat and collagen and holds up extremely well to extended braising. It's what people use here.

Carnitas are traditionally braised in lard and spices for hours until very tender then they are caramelized and crisped up with more seasoning. Most folks cheat and just braise them, pick the meat apart and then roast in the oven. There's not much broth. I think you could use the PC for the first part then use the oven or broiler to finish the dish.

Gawd this Duralex reminds me of that hideous green and yellow glassware of the 70's! But, there will be no contempt prior to investigation... I've had glasses ruined by repeated exposure to Electrasol/Finish and similar powerball type detergent in my dishwasher. How does the Duralex stand up to such chemical abuse?

Interesting. I like the forum format. I've only dabbled with twitter. My main fear was being flooded by tweets and retweets and my phone constantly buzzing. So I haven't delved into the media much at all. Probably have some misconceptions that need correcting.

Brining is curing- particularly if left long enough. In the end the result is the same. Salting the meat is easier though and I get the point. Much like when I get a Rock hen and salt it down for a couple hours uncovered in the fridge while getting the grill ready. Actually that is more like 1.5 hours drinking beer and 30 minutes heating the Egg.

I was thinking about the psychological aspect and revealing Chang's Mind and thought processes. It's like peeling back the layers of an onion. I expect by the end of season one we will be well acquainted with Chang. I like the idea of instead of trying to accomplish this feat in one episode they'll take an entire season and move on to the next. And the next may be radically different.

OK guys... Love Sriacha. Discovered it eating at Vietnamese restaurants and didn't figure out that it was made in California until years later- guess I should have read the bottle. Was definitely used to paint the plates at many a fine dining establishment. Heard it referred to as "Sir Hatchy" or "Chinese Ketchup"! lol I think Tabasco is the benchmark for all around depth of flavor despite it ain't being that hot to me any more. Brings a lot to the party though. So instead of buying these other folks' expensive hot sauce only a few are trying to make their own (based on the thread's replies)? Let me help you... I take a pound of peppers- your choice. You want to use Carolina Reaper go for it. My last was a mix of serranos and habaneros. De-stem and toss into a blender with about 3% kosher salt by weight. Add at 2 cups of tap water and start to blend it up until you get a fine slurry. Run that blender. Get it as fine as you can! Then pour it into a sanitized jar- a mason jar preferably. Let the mixture sit covered in a cool dark place for at least 30 days stirring periodically. You don't have to stir it but may then have to scrape/ lift some mold off later- don't worry, this has no impact in the final product. Once in the jar fermentation will rapidly begin. Let it ferment and stir the slurry to incorporate. Let the sauce do it's thing. Fermentation happens. After at least 30 days decant into a blender with 2 cups of vinegar and blend for a minimum of 5 minutes. Strain into another jar through cheesecloth. I like to fill old Tabasco bottles from this. Congratulations. This is the real thing.

How is that not brining?

Just watched episode #1 and was blown away. I happen to be very fond of noodles- ramen in particular; and the Shin Ramyun on my kitchen shelf has me thinking. Got all the ingredients to make those gnocci...

Thank-you so very much! I will watch right away.

Geez you guys use a recipe? Actually they all look good and I like the idea of plantains but I'd like them on the side as really thick soups bother me. One can use canned beans but I think they are "gassy" so make my own beans. Soak one pound frijoles negro for 16-24 hours with at least three changes of water. Then I make "beans" and flavor them however I want. Sometimes just garlic, black pepper, comino and nuoc cham. For the soup I start with a mire poix and add garlic once that's softened in good olive oil. Chicken broth about 4-5 cups. Salt, bay leaf, comino, some chili-powder or ground ancho chile. If I want to kick it up ground chile de arbol goes in as well. Simmer this for a few minutes to release the spices. Add a couple cups of cooked black beans- this is where preference plays in- one can certainly add more. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add a couple more cups of beans. Bring back to a boil reduce heat and simmer mostly covered for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning if needed. Stir in a handful of fresh chopped cilantro and a diced Roma tomato. Garnish with sour cream or cream fraiche, queso fresco and a bit of cilantro. You're done!

Indeed - I worked in the building industry for many years and you get numb to the "C" word after a week as it is part of every sentence What is it about supposedly-mature men that the worst thing they can think of to call one another is something relating to female genitalia? Just like infantile adolescent boys in a schoolyard calling one another pussy. They seriously should be embarrassed if that's the best (worst) they can do. . Sorry to divert the thread briefly but please note that using the "C" word in parts of the UK is not the same as using it in the US. Anyway, both parties could have come out of this a lot better by not engaging in the whole thing. All rather silly. Sorry to continue the diversion but I know that the "C" word in parts of the UK is not the same thing as using it in the US. "Pussy" isn't considered in most quarters to be the most vile and vulgar and obscene choice of name-calling either. But my original point still stands. While MF'er and f**k are liberally salted throughout regular conversation polite or not the "C" word is probably the the worst thing one can say anyone and particularly women in the States. It's rarely used by anybody and is considered indescribably vulgar.

Patricia, running it through the tenderizer might have worked but then it would have been a shame to do so. A sear on both sides leaving it mid-rare would be my preference and not a roulade. I did make a roulade out of flank steak once but pounded the hell out of it first. The meat was dry and still kinda tough and I was not very impressed with my handiwork. High and fast for this particular cut. Doesn't have enough fat to be a good candidate for braising IMO.

Ooohweee! That looks very tasty. And me without a dinner tonight...

I can't offer any info except experience with seasoning cast iron pans and you have to use them hard right off the bat to finish the seasoning. The isomerized/polymerized oil is actually quite sticky. Hence your stuck eggs. My attempts at steel pans have eventually shed their coatings. What I came away from with the experiences is that steel pans really aren't meant to be seasoned in this fashion. However I have had some thin steel baking pans achieve this wondrous coating unintendedly after repeated uses at high heat. Blacken a chicken breast, sear some salmon or do a steak at high heat to try it out. Looking at the pic you are almost there.

Geez. Is this a smart business move? Coca Cola did something like this in the mid-80's and stopped making it's namesake. The public flipped and they quickly brought it back under a new name Coca Cola Classic. Of course this particular beverage was now sweetened with corn syrup instead of cane sugar. Makes me think it was a tactic to change the recipe. Perhaps Porkinson's will come back but they might not be quite the same...

You need to hot sear a few steak or the like in it until it builds up some actual carbon within the seasoning. Eggs are a poor choice right now. And wash it gently to remove any bits sticking. I've never found steel to season quite as well as cast iron.

I have one that will come indoors soon. Usually I let them die off. It'll need some light and warmth which is sort of a conundrum in the winter next to a window but this year it'll have a light focused on it. A 46w 2600K CFL puts out quite a bit of heat and the output will supplement what the plants need. Hopefully.

Agreed. Thankfully it isn't the only path to success. Some of the most successful prolific people I know are also the most gracious generous forgiving folk one would care to meet. It is amazing however, how some of the most rotten douchebags emerge cleanly from the the chaos they've caused on their way to the next step up.

Who are these trolls David? Can't say I have noticed any myself. Just people with differing views - which at the end of the day, help keep a forum going. If everyone agreed, then there would be no discussion. I am new to this forum and investigated it thoroughly before joining. I have not read every thread of course but have seen little evidence of outright "trollism". Which to me is when someone is provocative outside of normal discourse and is looking for a flame that ends up getting personal or is the seemingly inexperienced advice seeker who's extremely coy with their information and dribbles it out in order to string everyone along. Sometimes this is unintentional as there are people inexperienced in the ways of internet forums. But the flaming isn't. That's evil. Also, forums tend to have their ebb and flow and life-cycle. One month may be slow then something happens and it picks up dramatically. One thing to remember is that if important members leave it needn't be a catastrophe. Usually someone steps up.